GRIEF IN JAPAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22212, 15 March 1934, Page 9

GRIEF IN JAPAN

TORPEDO BOAT DISASTER ONE HUNDRED DEAD • (United Press Association.) ■ ■ (By EUctrle .Telegraph—Copyright.) " TOKIO, March 13. Three men were miraculously saved fr6m the Tomozuru after her arrival at Sasebo,-but-two others were drowned by the high Waves while in the act of rescuing them through a hatch.. The Tatsuta affixed a hawser to the propellors and towed ths upturned Tomozuru to' Sasebo, where at midnight hammering on the hull elicited answers from within. A hole, was made, through which milk and restoratives were passed. Divers then entered from below and.rescued the three men. Two of them had brok<-n arms, but they walked half a mile to hospital. The . hull was subsequently righted.. * „ Efforts to find other survivors are being continued. The crew totalled 113, and of this number 100 are almost certainly dead. The Emperor has expressed his profound grief at the disaster. . .

A SURVIVOR'S STORY.

TOKIO; March 13.

The Tomozuru was docked' at Sasebo. Pumping is; proceeding in the hope of rescuing Those already rescued were- engine- room hands,, and had taken refuge in a watertight compartment. A Survivor said the waves rushed in when the ship capsized. . It was pitch dark. He thought he was lost, but. hours later hunger and foul air made him desperate in a desire to. escape. Suddenly he was marvellously rescued after what seemed a nightmare. THIRTEEN SURVIVORS. . "Y • '.~>l : TOKIO, March 14. . (Received March 14, at 9 p.m.) Reports from Sasebo state that 12 men were taken out alive from the Tomozuru in the early morning, two of whom died in hospital. Therefore the survivors now number 13, while 15 have been found dead and 83 are missing. Rescuers, spurred on by faint tappings within, speedily cut holes in the hull. A commission of 25 noted naval authorities has been appointed' to inquire into the disaster, the chairman being the one-eyed Admiral Nomura. The cause of the capsize 'is surmised 'to be that the centre of. gravity was too high,; giving an advantage in fighting qualities and speed, but making the vessel top heavy in . rough weather. Presumably it will mean the renovation of sister ships and modification of further construction. .; A later message states that six more dead have been recovered. The majority of the remainder are believed to have been washed overboard and drowned. : FORTY-SIX BODIES FOUND. TOKIO, March 14. (Received March 15, at 0.15 a.m.) Forty-six bodies have been recovered and hope for the remainder of the crew has been abandoned. ".